Apply For A Grant
Overall Process
The Public Welfare Foundation has a two-step application process that includes both a letter of inquiry (LOI) and a full proposal. We accept inquiries throughout the year; it generally takes four to six months to process a successful grant application.
Applicants should submit letters of inquiry four to six weeks before the full proposal deadlines and must use the Foundation’s online application system. Letters of inquiry that are not submitted through the online application system will not be considered.
In order to submit a letter of inquiry, the applicant creates an account and completes the online letter of inquiry form available here. The letter should contain facts and figures about the organization, describe its mission and explain the purpose of the request, including the Foundation program under which a grant is being requested. Please read the Letter of Inquiry Content Guide before making your submission. If you have started an online letter of inquiry and need to return to it, go to this link.
Once a letter of inquiry arrives at the Foundation, our staff determine whether the proposed project fits the Foundation’s funding guidelines. Please read the program guidelines carefully before applying. The Foundation does not fund individuals, scholarships, direct services, international projects or endowment campaigns. Our staff respond to letters of inquiry within 30 working days letting the applicants know whether they will be invited to submit a full proposal.
We invite full proposals after reviewing letters of inquiry. We only consider full proposals we have invited. Successful applicants will be invited by email to submit full proposals and will be sent an online link to the same account login page used to submit the letter of inquiry. There, they will be able to access an online form for submitting a full proposal. This form should be completed according to the instructions in the Full Proposal Guidelines.
The review and evaluation process for full proposals takes two to three months. During this period, applicants may be asked to submit additional information and/or to meet with Foundation staff. If, after careful consideration, a proposal is not approved, the applicant will be notified by email.
Three times a year, the Board of Directors reviews full proposals recommended for funding. Successful applicants receive an award letter by email, and generally funds are disbursed within 45 days of approval.
How to Apply if Your Organization Does Not Have 501(c)3 Status
As a private foundation, we are not allowed to use fiscal agents in the process of grant making. For those organizations that do not have 501(c) (3) status with the Internal Revenue Service, there are two alternatives:
- Expenditure responsibility
- Fiscal sponsorship
For more information about these processes as well as additional requirements for these types of grants, please review our guidelines. These types of grants are rarely given.
Reporting Requirements
Evaluating the progress of our grantees is a vital part of our work. Sufficiently detailed and honest assessment helps the Foundation and grantees gain useful insights into how we are advancing toward our goals, what we are learning, where we need to make course corrections, and what’s over the horizon. For these reasons, we require our grantees to submit annual reports that include both narrative and financial components. Please review our reporting requirements and report templates before submitting your report.
Renewal Funding
Organizations may apply for another grant extending the work approved in their original grant. The Foundation's review and evaluation process takes three to four months. Applicants should decide when they would like to receive final approval for their renewal grant and plan ahead accordingly. Therefore, grantees that have not received a proposal invitation should submit a letter of inquiry prior to the end of their grant period to prevent an interruption in funding.